


Hanahaki Soulmates

by Meteorfallen



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Bullying, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Multi, PLZ READ TAGS, Saw today was hanahaki day and thought this went well enough with it to maybe include it in the tag?, Sefikura, Sefikuraweek2018, Sephcloud - Freeform, Soulmate AU, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Will have a happy ending, and I consider it to be a hurt / comfort fic, and blood descriptions such as relaying the hanahaki-like symptoms, but this isn't a darkfic, hanahaki, hanahaki like symptoms anyway, nobody dies everybody lives, now part of a coming series, please note that this fic will have:, will even have a little bit of comedy later, won't end in suicide or characters dying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-10 06:57:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13497054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meteorfallen/pseuds/Meteorfallen
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate, and everyone has a type of soulmate marker that will one day lead them to their destined beloved. Some people develop them at birth, others develop them by the time they've turned eighteen - and some, although rarer, develop theirs through a Trigger of some kind.Cloud was always waiting for his to develop as a child, always wanting some connection to his soulmate. The only problem is, when he finally got his it was more than what he bargained for.





	1. The First Sign

**Author's Note:**

> I saw that it was sefikura week on tumblr and since today seems to be hanahaki themed I decided to post something I'd just started working on. Please make sure you read the tags if you're at all concerned about this story as I've seen fit to update them to hopefully any prevent further confusion, and I hope you guys enjoy!

 

                Ma had always said this world of theirs was a world of soulmates.

                Ma also said that this world was full of all different kinds of soulmates – all kinds of different ways people are connected to each other.

                She was a Heterochromia soulmate herself; a soulmate whose eye color and sometimes even the shape of pupils or designs of the iris mirror the eyes of the person they’re destined to fall in love with – only changing back to their original eyes once they’ve met their soulmate’s gaze.

                Ma’s was pretty easy to figure out – from her birth everyone knew what her soulmate marker was. Because all Strife’s ever born had strong genes, and they were always born with piercing blue eyes. Sometimes those eyes were icy, sometimes like a clear sky – or a troubled one – or in shades of the ocean – but Strife born eyes were always blue.

                Except for Ma, who’d been born with soft brown eyes that had never matched her icy temperament or her unwavering steel bones. She’d carried those eyes until she’d met Pa and her own eyes had returned to her.

                When she’d had me, Ma had taken one look at my blue eyes – deep and bright at the same time – and had known those were Strife eyes and that my eyes lacked the heterochromia she’d been born with. Whatever my soulmate marker would be, it seemed it would develop later in life – which wasn’t considered abnormal.

                But as a child, he often wondered what his soulmate marker would be as some children around him started to develop theirs. Such as Tifa Lockhart.

                She was village’s idolized sweetheart and had one of the most envious markers a soulmate could have. She was a Red Thread soulmate – a person who had a red string tied around their pinky finger connecting them to their soulmate – a tether only she and her soulmate would ever see. She developed hers at only seven years old.

                Each year Cloud, although still confused about soulmates and soulmate markers, eagerly waited for his to show. He heard often that it took either Age or a Trigger to activate one’s soulmate marker. Some simply couldn’t be activated until a person was a certain age – normally sixteen or eighteen was when everyone had their markers develop if one hadn’t appeared yet. Tifa’s soulmate marker was an age centered one – each year she’d develop more of a gift to see the thread between her and her soulmate until one day she’d be able to clearly see where it would lead her.

                Besides Age Markers, there were Trigger Markers. Triggers were a more difficult way to activate a soulmate marker since some weren’t even sure if Triggers were a real thing or not.

                But the doctor in Nibelheim, who was often visited by the young people in Nibelheim who were curious of their markers, told Cloud that he believed in Triggers because he himself had had a Trigger that had activated when he was in twenties.

                He hadn’t developed a single marker in his life until he was twenty-six, when one day, he woke up in his soulmate’s body. For him it had been a miracle, because just the night before he had prayed and prayed and wished with all his heart to finally meet his soulmate just before their bodies had been swapped – the same as his soulmate had. Their strong unwavering longing to finally find each other after all this time Triggered their markers and made it possible.  

                As such, Triggers were peculiar because it seemed like they wouldn’t activate until both soulmates seemed to experience a similar situation – often one fueled by strong emotions. That seemed to be the leading science behind Tiggers at the time.

               All these things made Cloud envious as a child. He wanted his marker to show up as soon as it could. He felt cheated that his marker hadn’t developed at birth like his Ma’s had, and envious of Tifa’s Red Thread marker as he turned nine and still no sign of a marker appeared on him. He didn’t want to wait until he was _ancient_ for his to develop.

               His Ma would only laugh at his disquiet and assure him it was perfectly normal for his marker to not have developed just yet. Some people were born with markers from birth – but not everyone. Sometimes markers appeared in a person’s teenage years, and she always gently chided him to not worry about it so much. Telling him he was too young to worry about a soulmate at his age!

               Still.

               He’d lay awake staring at his hand at night, willing a red string to appear that would connect him to his soulmate. Sometimes, and often times, he envisioned a string connecting him and Tifa together. Other times he imagined a red string connecting him to somewhere distant and faraway, as he anxiously hoped that his soulmate would be someone kind and loving.

               He used to stay up all night wishing and willing and hoping his marker would develop, assured that his own determination would one day be strong enough to make one appear.

               It was on a night like that – one of the many nights he’d been too restless to sleep thinking about his marker developing – that he’d heard a noise come from outside. It was only curiosity and knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep that let him move to the window and look out.

               He watched as a small shape moved past the town toward the Nibel Mountains. It was only by the chance of fate – of seeing moonlight shine behind the clouds at just the right time that he was able to see who it was that was leaving the village and heading up to the mountains at night.

              …truth be told, he didn’t have a lot of clear memories leading up to what happened next.

              Cloud didn’t remember leaving his house, but he did remember chasing after Tifa. He couldn’t remember what he’d called out to try and get her to stop, only vaguely remembering he was trying to warn her. He also didn’t remember how tired he must have been chasing and climbing after her, but he remembered being afraid and yet too determined to abandon her.

              He didn’t remember the bridge snapping, but he did remember grabbing ahold of her and desperately trying to keep them from falling. Cloud didn’t remember letting go, and even less the actual fall or hitting the ground – but he _did_ remember crying out in pain when he woke up, and hurting all over from the outside in.

              He didn’t remember picking Tifa up and only foggily recalled carrying her back home – but if there was one thing he remembered, and although it barely registered in his addled brain at the time – it was the taste of something sweet yet bitter on his tongue that had lingered.

             Cloud slept for a time after the fall like Tifa had – but he’d woken up almost a week before she would. Cloud couldn’t remember the words the Mayor had hatefully said to him when he was well enough to venture out of his house for the first time, but he did remember the threat and the way those words crushed him.

             His Ma had been quick to lead him back home and offer to make him his favorite dish after she’d told the Mayor off for what he’d said, but Cloud could only barely focus on what she was saying or doing at the time.

             At first, Cloud remembered being confused as his stomach hurt as he watched his Ma cook. He remembered an itching in his throat – and then suddenly doubling over and hacking and coughing as hard as he ever had in life as petals exploded from his mouth.

             Bright and colorful red petals seemed to be hacked up one after the other until they spilled from his hand onto the floor. His Ma had been terrified and had rushed him to the doctor as quickly as she could.

             That was the first time he’d heard of the hanahaki disease – a disease where someone coughs up flower petals when they suffer from a one-sided love. Flowers grew inside a person, taking over their lungs and windpipes and eventually leading to one’s untimely death by asphyxiation if the love isn’t returned, or the disease cured.

             Cloud had been frightened upon hearing that, but the fright was short lived. Before the doctor had went to examine him, he’d coughed up a thorn.

             The doctor, upon recognizing the flower petals and thorns of that of red roses, said he’d never heard of a case of hanahaki creating roses before and examined Cloud for some time before he’d made his official diagnosis.

             “It ain’t hanahaki disease, that’s for sure. No flowers rooting in his lungs or throat.”

             Cloud would remember those words for the rest of his life, and not only because his Ma had nearly collapsed with relief. But confusion still showed on her face.

            “Then what is it exactly? Why is my boy coughing up flowers?”

            “Well… It appears he’s gone and finally developed his marker, M’am.”

            “His… soulmate marker? What sort of marker creates symptoms like the hanahaki disease?”

            “It’s a rare soulmate marker known as Blooming soulmates. Flowers bloom across a person’s soulmate when and where they’ve been hurt.” He’d turned to Cloud then, a slight rueful grin on his face. “Congratulations, son. Your marker has finally appeared.”

            Cloud still had a hard time talking – a little painful tickle in his throat made him have to keep coughing every few seconds, although there were barely any petals coming up now.

            “…I don’t understand. Why…?”

            It was too hard to finish his words as another coughing fit seized him, but the doctor had understood.

            “I seems like you and your soulmate must have both have had a rough couple of nights, hm? It might have taken you’ns both getting inured to Trigger your markers. At least, that’s what I assume has happened. Now you’ll forever know when your soulmate is injured – flowers will bloom on your body where they’ve been hurt. You might even feel some of their pain from it – or maybe not. Not too sure about Blooming soulmates - it is too rare a marker… I suppose the upside is, since its so rare, you probably won’t find many like you. It might make finding your soulmate easier, one of these days, eh?”

             Hesitantly – and it was so weird to see his Ma be hesitant about anything – “Then, he’s coughing up flowers not because of the hanahaki disease, but because his soulmate is hurt right now…?”

             The doctor gave a rather careless shrug.

             “Seems that way. They probably gone and ate something bad that they weren’t suppose to, and that’s why he’s hacking up petals instead of having flowers bloom across his skin. Probably sick from somethin’ or another.”

              “Sickness can affect these markers then?”

              “I suppose so, to some degree? These books don’t do more than highlight some things – a real gloss over if you ask me.”

              “Isn’t there anything that can be done to help Cloud?”

              The cross expression on her face was a familiar one, and that comforted Cloud some. Although he wished his queasiness would be as easily cowed by that expression as the doctor was.

              “Sorry, M’am… I don’t think there’s anything that can be done. I mean, besides praying that Cloud’s here soulmate isn’t a total clutz, and all. I mean, he’ll definitely get better and the flowers will go away when his soulmate recovers – until then, like most things in life… It’s just a waitin’ game.”

              “Well, what if he chokes again while we’re waiting!”

              “Then we’ll deal with that… How about I keep Cloud here until he stops redecorating my house in floral?”

              Cloud had burped at that, before giving a pitiful moan as another flower petal drifted out of his mouth. His Ma, realizing there really wasn’t anything else she could do for him, came to his side and began to gently stroke his head to at least offer him some semblance of comfort.

              As a young boy sitting there in the poor excuse for a clinic that Nibel had, Cloud remembered how he had looked down at his hand. He remembered his first handful of the red petals laying among a few light speckles of blood and a single thorn in his hand, and he remembered thinking despite how awful he felt right then, he was so _lucky_ to finally have found some link to his soulmate – to finally have his very own soulmate marker!

              Gods, if he had only known then what was in store for him.

              The tears in his eyes wouldn’t have been ones brought on by joy…

              …they definitely would have been ones of fear.

 


	2. Somber Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud thinks he's starting to get used to the new symptoms that have come about from his soulmate marker, but just when he starts to get comfortable his peace is quickly followed by despair.

 

                Cloud was no longer surprised to wake up and see the two neat rows of three seedling-like growths on his skin each morning. They didn’t disturb him as much as they had the first time he’d woken up to sleepily itch at the crooks of his arm only to be rewarded with painful stings for his effort.

                The little growths were sometimes tiny welts upraised against his skin – other times they were just tiny sprouts that broke through his skin. They seemed to be becoming a common occurrence each morning and as long as he didn’t scratch them they didn’t hurt or bother him too much anymore.  

                It had taken his Ma longer to get used to them, but after another trip to the doctor and Cloud’s own lax worry on the subject, she’d stopped bringing them up besides to examine them each morning and ask if they hurt.

                It was what she was doing now over breakfast, as she examined them this way and that like normal. She was always sort of baffled that they seemed to welt his skin or sprout in the same orderly two-by-three little rows, and hadn’t readily accepted his soulmate had simply received a scratch of some sort as way of explanation for the marks like the doctor had half-heartedly suggested.

                She’d squinted at them with a puzzled expression for some time, before finally humming out, “Hmm… Perhaps… He’s getting injections of some kind? Maybe… Because he was sick? We should go ask the doctor to reexamine these after we eat to see if he thinks that’s more likely.”

                Cloud was tired of constant trips to the doctor, and was plainly weary or going out to begin with. He half hid his face with his bangs as he suggested they do otherwise.

                “I… I don’t think we need to go see him. I don’t want to visit him at every little thing... This is my marker so we should just get used to it.”

                His Ma had looked at him unsurely for a time, searching his idle expression for something before quietly saying, “…well, if you’re sure… But if they start hurting you or something different happens – be sure to let me know.”

                Since they didn’t seem to trouble him too much, Cloud’s Ma didn’t seem to want to panic over the little rows and wanted to trust his judgement on the matter. Cloud was incredibly grateful she wasn’t pushing the matter, and they both sat down to eat morning’s meal in silence for a time before his Ma slowly tried to draw him into conversation.

                “The weather’s rather lovely today, isn’t baby?”

                “…hn.”

                “Perfect day for a stroll through town, don’t you think?”

                “…”

                “Y’know, Cloud… Tifa woke up two days ago, and you haven’t been outside once since she’s been up and about. Don’t you want to go and see her? You saved her life after all – I’m surprised you don’t want to make sure she’s recovering okay.”

                Cloud wasn’t so sure he’d really saved her anymore after the Mayor’s scalding words to him. The events were foggy to him at best, and he was afraid maybe he was at fault for the accident after all.

                At his continued silence, his Ma sighed and shook her head, before firmly saying, “Cloud. You’re playing outside today.”

                “Uh!?”

                “You can’t stay hold up here forever. You’ve barely gone outside since waking up, and you’re always back less than an hour after you’ve left. Not like how you used to play outside until you were pushing your curfew. You’re young, Cloud. You should be staying out late and trying my patience, like most rotten little boys.”

                That got him to quirk his lips slightly, and his Ma mirrored the gesture.

                “…okay.”

                “Good boy. Now go and play, okay?”

                Cloud nodded and ate the last bite of his toast before heading out with more bravo than he really had. Just outside the house, he paused against the door and let his head clunk lightly back against it.

                The truth was… Cloud was hoping to avoid Tifa. He’d been hoping to avoid everyone – but Tifa in particular… He wasn’t sure how he could face her. When she’d needed him most, he hadn’t been able to help her. They’d fallen because he hadn’t been strong enough to save them.

                It made his chest hurt.

                …and it bothered the welts along his arms the more he thought about it – it made them itchy. He desperately wanted to scratch them, but resisted.

                He was a bundle of nerves when he finally stepped off the front porch, pulling his short sleeves down as low as they’d go to cover his marks. It was the beginning of what would quickly become a habit.

                Cloud did what he normally used to do – explored the woods surrounding the town and climbed trees – never going too far from the village or out of sight of the water tower. He’d been out there for almost two hours, trying to clear his head, when he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

                A few of the village kids he normally played with were coming over; he’d rarely seen sight of them since he’d been back on his feet again, and couldn’t really say if he was excited or not to see them.

                “Yo, Cloud!”

                Sunny smiled at him, his bright smile showing off where he’d recently lost one of his top teeth. Behind trailed Sam, her petulant face turning to one of surprise at seeing him, and Marshal bringing up the rear – his curly hair almost completely obscuring his eyes.

                He dropped down from the tree to greet them, more relieved than he cared to admit that it was them who had discovered him and instead of some of the other kids in town.

                “Hey, Cloud,” Sam started toward him, jostling his shoulder playfully with her hand. She was still taller than him, much to his chagrin.

                “We haven’t seen much of you since you came back with Tifa from the mountain that night. Are you finally feeling better?”

                Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but Sam stopped him and made a grabby motion in front of his face.

                “Huh? What?”

                “Doctor says you found your soulmate marker, riiight? Cough me up some pretty petals!”

                He pushed her hand away and groused, “I can’t just cough them up on command! I haven’t coughed any up since the first night.”

                “Ehhh? Really? Booh!”

                Ignoring her, Cloud turned back to Sunny as he laughed and teased him.

                “So you’re a blossom child, eh? Hahaha, something like that fits you! Blossom child Cloud~”

                Embarrassed, he scoffed his boot in the dirt and looked away from them.

                “You’re waaayyy to shy, you know? Booh, Cloudy-poo!”

                The sounds of boots crunching through leaves and underbrush got them all to look up and back to where Tifa had come into the clearing. She was in the middle of ducking under a branch and seemed just as surprised as Cloud to see him.

                “Teef!”

                Sam was quick to wave, and hesitantly Tifa stood still, as if she was considering heading back the way she’d come. It made Cloud’s stomach twist.

                “I’m surprised your Pa is finally letting you venture into the woods, what with that stick in his butt.”

                Marshal cuffed Sunny for his words, but despite his sheepish grin in apology Tifa still gave him an annoyed glance as she finally decided to head over to the group.

                She stopped just outside their circle, one hand grabbing her arm unsurely. She wouldn’t meet Cloud’s gaze, and Cloud realized he couldn’t bring himself to look at her besides to see that she seemed well enough – only a bandaid here and there on her knees and elbows. Like him, she had one across her nose too. But, he couldn’t find it in himself to ask how she was or say anything, and bit his tongue and looked away before she could catch his gaze.

                The others didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness.

                “Maaan, I’m jealous! You and Cloudy-poo both have your markers already! I feel left out!.You both should make it up to me by giving me sweets so I won’t be sad, okaaay? Ah. But actually… Cloudy-poo, you should give me some flowers instead. That would make me feel muuuch better!”

                Marshal grunted, “If anyone should be getting flowers, its Tifa. She was the one who was _actually_ hurt and got better and all.”

                He sent Cloud an annoyed look at that, and Cloud looked away in shame.

                Sunny snorted and quipped, “You should just have Cloudy-blossom give you some flowers. He can make them now, after all. Or at least that’s what the doc said. But he’s being stingy right now.”

                “Ooooh, how romaaaantic! Cloudy-poo brought her back to Nibel, and he’ll bring her flooowwweerrssss! I’m definitely jealous now, wah!”

                Annoyed, Cloud scratched at the crook of his arm as they giggled around him. The welts itched under his fingertips.

                Tifa stepped forward with a frown, opening her mouth to say something when she started with a look of alarm. Cloud quickly looked behind him, disturbed at the expression on her face but couldn’t see anything lurking behind him but a tree trunk.

                When he glanced back at her, she was looking down at her hand, biting her bottom lip in frustration. When she looked up again, her expression looked angry and she walked to stand directly in front of him. Cloud backed up into the tree behind him, then stepped around it as she followed him. Her expression just got more irritated the more she looked at him.

                “What’s the matter, Teef? Did Cloud do something ruuude?”

                Without warning, Tifa brought her hands up and shoved Cloud’s shoulders, laying him out flat on his back much to everyone’s surprise.

                Cloud looked up in hurt from the ground, and saw Tifa’s expression change to one of shock and then something unreadable, before she turned and ran away.

                “Ah, Teef, what’s wrong? Wait for me!”

                Sam gave him a disapproving look before racing after her, and Sunny and Marshal shared a confused look before Marshal started pulling Sunny along by the arm.

                Cloud heard Sunny ask, “What was that about?” and Marshal answer, “Don’t know, but he definitely made her really mad.”

                Angry, Cloud picked himself up and dusted his clothes off. As he did so, he scratched one of the welts along his arm and hissed in pain. That only made him angrier, and made his stomach twist further.

                But where there was anger, there was guilt.

                _She… She pushed me over… She must have been really mad at me._

Cloud, again, tried to recall the night he went after her but the memory of the events were still foggy at best.

                The idea and the guilt at the thought he’d caused the accident only grew.

                Tifa wouldn’t have punished him unless he had done _something_ bad, after all.

                His stomach twisted again, and for the first time he realized the sensation felt familiar.

                He barely had time to register what was about to happen before he was dropping to his knees and retching into the dirt, an explosion of petals flying out from his parted lips. He hacked and coughed and groaned, squeezing at his throat as sharp thorns scratched their way up and out. They nicked his gums and sliced his tongue as he heaved them out, specks of blood joining them on the ground.

                The crooks of his arms, which rarely pained him, burned and the welts sprouted as tiny flowers not yet mature enough to bloom sprung from his skin.

                It all stung and hurt terribly, and he found it hard to breathe as his eyes filled with tears. He writhed on his knees, unable to do little but suffer for the next few minutes until the thorns stopped coming and the flower petals slowed enough for him to greedily gasp for air.

                Even after that, it took some time before he was able to catch his breath and open his eyes again. When he did and sat back on his legs, Cloud was startled by the amount of rose petals in front and on him.

                They were different than before – these ones weren’t bright like the first time he’d seen them… They were a dark, dark red, a somber red, and it was hard to tell them apart from the crimson flecks on and around them. Seeing them somehow made him want to cry – they carried some unknown weight he couldn’t describe or fathom.

                He kept a hand tight around his neck, rubbing the area and trying to not cough as each little rough motion hurt the scratches in his throat. It did little to soothe the rest of the pain pulsating throughout his body.

                Even though he’d stopped coughing things up besides the occasional petal now, his skin _burned._ A phantom pain ghosted just underneath his flesh throughout his whole body. When he looked down at his arm, past the small welts and seeds in the crook of his arms, he swore he could see his veins _writhing_ underneath, twisting as if his blood had become acidic.

                This time, when he bent over to heave, it wasn’t flower petals that made their way out of him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the comments so far - they're really encouraging. I love when people speculate about what's going on or what they think might happen - it always really amuses me when someone guesses something that's borderline a future spoiler. It lets me know they're really invested in what I've written. (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑


	3. It Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud develops a new unforeseen symptom, and another rose blossoms elsewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please make sure to read the end notes, everyone. 

 

                - _I’m here…-_

                It was a week before Cloud seemed to recover enough to not stay bedridden any longer. Between the Nibel doctor visiting him because of his high fevers, near asphyxiations, new blossoms and… _other_ symptoms, Cloud was feeling a weariness way past his physical age. It dragged on his shoulders and made his footfalls heavy as he went into the kitchen and pulled himself up into the kitchen chair. He kept his hands under the table over his knees.

                Ma seemed pleased he was up, but her now nearly ever-present brow-crease showed she was worried about him like normal.

                “How are we feeling today, baby?”

                Cloud felt like there was a great weight settled on his shoulders and something heavy buried in his gut, but he still felt remarkably better than yesterday, and much better than the day before so he knew he was improving.

                “…okay.”

                She dried her hands with the kitchen towel before moving over to feel his forehead.

                “No fever today, that’s good. No more rose petals since the other morning?”

                “Yeah.”

                “That’s good, baby… What about… the other thing?”

                Cloud grew quiet at that, unlike the whispers, and that was enough of an answer for his Ma.

                She stroked his head silently at that, expression pinched. He knew she was grasping for new ideas, new comforts to say, but felt like her words would only fall flat.

                “…it could still be tinnitus?”

                _-I’m right here…-_

                Cloud couldn’t work up the courage, to _again_ admit, that he could still hear words among the warbled scratching in his ears. So he merely shrugged and looked down at his food.

                Ma could tell the conversation was bothering him so she moved on to her other morning ritual of investigating the crooks of his arm.

                “Hmm… No welts or anything in three days. A new record.”

                Cloud thought of agreeing, but didn’t once he saw his Ma’s eyes catch a hold of what he’d been half-hiding under the table.

                “Oh? Cloud! You told me there weren’t any new flower petals…”

                She lifted his hand up, and along the back of his left hand blossomed a somber red rose.

                “…it isn’t petals.”

                She sent him a half-cross look for being smart with her, but quickly went back to examining the new blossom with intrigue. Her voice was rather wistful when she talked, despite her concerned expression.

                “To think something so pretty can come from another person’s distress… A little prick of pain, and poof! A flower blossoms on your soulmate’s skin. Upset stomach, and poof! Your soulmate is hacking up flower petals and thorns…” She sighed. “Still… The blossoms are beautiful, and they smell wonderfully… We should at least be grateful for that, I suppose. Grateful for what we can be.”

                She let his hand go, and he stowed it under the table again.

                Cloud wondered if he should still feel grateful for discovering his soulmate marker. He definitely didn’t feel very grateful this week as he coughed and choked up petals and thorns, and his body had burned with some unknown fever and the… the whispering scratchy _voice_ had restlessly called out for someone.

                Just thinking about this week left him feeling decidedly _ungrateful._

So no.

                The scent of roses didn’t comfort him at all, in fact.

                - _Grow, my son… Grow and come to Mother…-_

                Not any longer.

                They turned his stomach and he found himself pushing his plate away in disgust as his Ma set it before him. She sighed at his disgusted expression.

                “You need to eat. This is fourth morning you’ve not eaten breakfast. You’re already a skinny boy, baby. Any skinner and I won’t be able to see you if you turn sideways. Won’t you at least eat a piece of toast?”

                Toast sickened him whenever he looked at it now, and he shook his head insistently.

                “…alright then. How about fruit? An apple, perhaps?”

                An apple didn’t sound… horrible. But still, he didn’t feel hungry enough to really want it.

                “…still no appetite at all?” She tapped her fingers along the table, biting her lip in an unsure manner. “…we could drop by to see the doctor again today…”

                _-Hear me… Hear me… HeAr mE…-_

                “No!”

                She looked at him in surprise, frowning as he hurriedly said, “I feel well, Ma. I just… I haven’t been hungry lately. I’ve been eating lunch and dinner… I’m just not hungry in the mornings anymore.”

                Her disquiet didn’t go away, but his attempt at a reassuring smile seemed to ease her nerves on the matter.

                “Okay baby… Are you going to… go outside today? I fear you’ll become as pale as ghost at this rate. You don’t have to be gone for long, but… The sun will do you some good. It’ll make you feel better to have some fresh air in your lungs.”

                Truthfully, he had been feeling restless lately. And he did feel well enough to be on his feet again.

                His Ma looked delighted at the news.

                “That’s my baby. Hurry up and get dressed, then! No use wasting anymore sunlight since you slept late already.”

              _-wHy wOn’T yOu HeAR MoTHeR…-_

 

…x…

 

                Sunlight and fresh air _did_ help improve his mood some as he sat on top of the water tower. He didn’t feel eager to rush around in the woods like normal – just basking in the light and warmth was enough to leave him feeling less claustrophobic than before.

                “Look who it is, it’s Cloooouddddy-poo!”

                Cloud glanced down to see Sam staring up at him from the bottom of the tower, but unlike normal she seemed to be glaring at him with her fists on her hips. Or maybe she was just squinting because of the sunlight? He shifted before moving to climb down.

                The last thing he wanted was Sam to climb up here again. The last time she had, she’d almost knocked him off three different times and nearly fallen off once – unable to sit still as she was.

                He hopped down beside her and spun around just in time for her to grab his hand and squeal at the flower there.

                “You really _are_ a blossoming child, aren’t you Cloudy-poo? That’s so cute!”

                _-You don’t need others, my Son… You only need Mother.-_

                Embarrassed, he tried – unsuccessfully – to pull his hand out of her tight grip. His attempts to stop her from petting the rose blossom was also met with the same failure.

                “Hey, be careful!”

                She stuck her tongue out at him in response.

                “Oh, I’m just petting it Cloudy-poo! Don’t be so stingy. You can’t hurt a flower by simply _petting_ it.”

                Clearly, no flower had ever been pet by Sam, because each harsh stroke of his hand on the flower pulled and yanked it and bent the petals out of place – a few were quickly knocked loose at her strokes. He quickly lost his temper as one harsh yank – not even a stroke this time – almost caused the flower to be ripped from his skin.

                “That _hurts_ , Sam!”

                She started at his shout, then glared at him and yanked harder as she yelled, “Don’t yell at me!”

                _-You doN’T NEED THEM. PATHETIC MORTALS. YOU JUST NEED MOTHER!-_

                The last angry pull was enough to cause a blinding pain to split through his hand, and reflexively his hands shot out to push Sam. She stumbled backward and tripped over her feet, landing hard on her rump in surprise.

                Muttering a curse word Ma would have smacked him for, Cloud clutched his hand to his chest, quickly noticing the trickle of blood dripping from the back of his hand.

                Sam, still surprised he’d pushed her, had her small hands squeezing the life out of her now prized rose. Her expression then warped, and her bottom lip began to tremble.

                “Why’d you push me…? I was… I was only gonna… Gonna… wass, _waaaAAAHHHHH!_ ”

                She began to cry in loud hiccupping wails.

                _-Where are you, my Son…? I know… you’re out there somewhere… Come to Mother… Come.-_

                The wailing was too loud. Cloud’s head hurt.

                Footsteps approaching distracted him from the wailing, and he saw Sunny and Marshal marching toward them. A decidedly unfriendly expression their faces. Sunny, much to his surprise and alarm, shoved him as soon as he was close enough to.

                Cloud twisted and landed harsh along the dirt and rocks on his knees, still clutching his stinging hand to his chest. He couldn’t help but let out a yelp as the sharp stones bit into his shins like teeth.

                “What’s wrong with you, dude? It wasn’t enough to hurt Tifa, now you gotta go and hurt Sam too? She didn’t do nothin’ to you!”

                More angry now than hurt, he picked himself back up and yelled, “What are you talking about!”

                Marshal was helping Sam back to her feet, but frowned in annoyance as he spat, “Mayor Lockhart said you’re the reason Tifa got hurt – that it was your fault! And Tifa pushed you because you got her hurt, didn’t you? You suck, Cloud!”

                “I didn’t – you – you’re wrong!”

                _They were wrong, weren’t they?_

                A squeaky voice piped up now, quickly saying, “Doc said he’s hearing voices now! He’s crazy, like Old Woofie used to be, I bet! He waz really mean when he waz crazy!”

                Cloud whirled to see Hayner and his little sister Hana standing there, with her pointing at him in a scolding manner. Cloud felt his face flood with color.

                “I’m not – _I’m not hearing voices!_ ”

                “Liar! Liar!”

                  _-Traitors!-_

                He swung his hand out to quiet her – but the gesture was mistaken and it was enough to scare Hayner's sister into being quiet and she hid behind her brother. He glared at him, and the challenge in his eyes only made Cloud feel angrier.

                Then Cloud noticed Tifa was there too – standing just behind Hayner and his sister. She was biting her lip and seemed confused. When they caught each other’s eyes, they both froze. Cloud stared at her, not sure what he wanted to express or say – and she stared back, expression mirroring his own.

                But then Cloud smacked his shoulder into the water tower when _someone_ pushed him – and he didn’t even _know_ who it was – but his temper _flared._ Things quickly went red, and before he realized it, he was tackling someone.

Cloud was on top of someone and punching them into the dirt by the time he realized someone’s hands – much larger and more painful than a kid’s grip – was crushing into his shoulders and hauling him off his feet. He noticed it was the sheriff only  _after_ he kicked him in the shins and made him let go, but ignored him and everyone else as he ran past and fled back home.

                Cloud’s Ma jumped when he slammed the door behind him, and called out for as he raced upstairs and slammed his door shut, but she didn’t follow after him and he sat with his back against the door.

                Only now that he was breathing hard and stationary could he feel the pain in his hands. Not even from the stinging place the rose had been ripped off his skin, but his knuckles ached from punching.

                Pain radiated down his back from where fists had hit him and kicks had taken him in the sides, and his knees hurt the worse – scratched up and bloody as they were from slamming into the ground more than once. He clutched them tight to his chest as his eyes burned.

                _-Son…-_

                “Shut up!”

                He held at his eardrums, desperately trying to will away the whispers in his mind.

                _-Why can’t you hear… Not yet time… Mother will wait for you… My Son._ -

                He could hear people downstairs – his Ma talking to someone at the door. It sounded like the sheriff. Her tone became aggressive, and harsh.

                Cloud shook his head, trying to shake the warbled voices out of his mind when he felt a new _horrible_ sting of pain now, one that muffled his sharp shriek as _something_ swelled on his tongue.

                He scrambled to his feet, knocking things over as he near slammed into the wall mirror. He opened his mouth with a choked cry, afraid of what he’d find laying inside.

                Blossoming large and full from his tongue, now unfurled a bright red rose.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I'm actually going to turn this work into a series instead of one long fic. I feel like it'll help the flow of the story, and give me enough creative freedom to work on other interests between this and next one. So this will be part one in the " Hanahaki Soulmates " series, and I'll probably change the name of this work to "Soulmate Markers" tomorrow on Jan 30th. If you've made a bookmark for this series, you'll probably have to make another one when I do, or just bookmark the series afterwards. 
> 
> I probably have one more chapter for this particular work (where Sephiroth will finally show up, 'kind of.') After adding the last chapter to this work, I'll change the name and make it into a series before taking a break, and then working on the next fic in the series which will take place when Cloud has moved to Midgar. 
> 
> Either way, I want to say thanks to everyone who has left kudos and commented so far - its been really encouraging and helped me find my rhythm again! You guys are great at speculating coming events, and sharing insightful comments!

**Author's Note:**

> heya everyone, I recently made a tumblr with the same username @meteorfallen. If anyone has any FFVII themed blogs I'd love to follow you and chat with fellow FFVII lovers. I've just started it so I would love the company~


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